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ALLELOPATHIC POTENTIAL OF POPULUS EUPHRATICA OLIVIER

ZAMAN SHER¹, FARRUKH HUSSAIN², BASHIR AHMAD³ AND MUHAMMAD WAHAB⁴
 

Abstract: Populus euphratica Olivier is frequently cultivated deciduous tree in Pakistan on agricultural land for its shade, fodder, timber and fuel wood. A relatively reduced understorey is often observed below it. Therefore the present study was conducted to assess the allelopathic potential of Popolus euphratica against some crop species. Plant material of Popolus euphratica were collected from the agriculture fields of Lahor, District Swabi in 2008 and were dried at room temperature (25˚C-30˚C). Allelopathic studies conducted by using aqueous extracts from various parts including young leaves, mature leaves, bark, litter and mulching in various experiments invariably retarded the germination, plumule, radical growth, fresh and dry weight of Sorghum vulgare Perse, Setaria italica (L.) P. Beauv and Triticum aestivum L., in laboratory experiments. The aqueous extracts obtained after 48 h were more inhibitory than 24 h. Leaves were more toxic than bark. Litter and mulching experiments also proved to be inhibitory. It is suggested that the various assayed parts of Populus euphratica  have strong allelopathic potential at least against the tested species. Further investigation is required to see its allelopathic behavior under field condition against its associated species and to identify the toxic principles.

¹Govt. Degree College, Lahor, Swabi, Pakistan
²Centre of Plant Biodiversity, University of Peshawar, Pakistan
³Centre of Biotechnology & Microbiology, University of Peshawar, Pakistan
⁴Department of Botany, Federal Urdu University Karachi, Pakistan
Corresponding E-mail: zamanbotany@yahoo.com